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Photo by Ihor Malytskyi via Unsplash

Trapped inside your own mind,
no human contact takes a toll in time.
Have seen many lose their mind;
but to some only the strong survive.

It affects many differently,
but all mentally and physically.
It’s not a place for a human being;
even animals have time to roam.
Being caged in like endangered species 
is not for any.

I witness this isolation;
I live in this isolation;
Taking one day at a time
while occupying your time 
is the mentality of many.

As one focused on life, they grow in time and
with every hardship comes ease and in the
end one will free his mind.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Abdulshahid Hafiz Al-Muhaimin is a writer from Washington, D.C. who has been incarcerated at the Federal Supermax Prison in Florence, Colorado since 2002 and is scheduled for release in 2027. He said he writes to let his story be heard.